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hi im fairly new to welding. my high school has a welding program in the ag dept. that i got into in august where we are tought basic stick welding. before this i ha welded very little but since ive started this program ive excelled faster than all of the other in the class. i enjoy welding very much im wanting to make a career out of it. i dont realy now where i should go after this or what cert. are nessecery for difffert jobs. what are the differt career paths and what step would you reccomend to get started?
Reply:What's your location? Are you mechanically inclined?BillMillermatic 2111960 Ford Ranchero1975 Dodge B200
Reply:Spend some time in English class before your done with high school. English is far from my strong point (I'm sure somebody will pick apart this post) but yours is well, bad. I hope you are a good welder. Now that I'm done giving you a hard time, some time in tech school post high school is a good idea. As far as certs. go they can very widely so it is a good idea to get an employer to pay for them if you can. They are often very specific and one company will not always honor an others test/cert. so they will often re-test you anyway. This has been my experience working in shops others may have opposite experiences. If you live or can move to an area that employes lots of welders you can start at whatever level you can and work up to a level you are happy at. IE, welding school busses or rail cars and move up to pressure vessels, pipe or aviation. It takes time and dedication to be a good welder but almost anybody can make a living at welding if they try hard enough. Good luck.
Reply:Most Tech or Community Colleges give out scholarships for their trade programs.  Sadly many of these scholarships never get used.  A close friend received a full scholarship in Drafting and Design because he had a C at his high school Vo-Tech, because no one else applied for the scholarship.  Make good grades in you AG class, and talk to your teacher about trade schools.  I know it's hard to believe but your teacher can be your best friend.  Stay on his good side and work hard, I promise it will pay off.My Dad sold welding supplies, so I received a scholarship to Lincoln's welding school.  Lincoln paid half, Miller paid the other half, and the local AWS paid my room and board.  The area Lincoln rep helped me with my scholarship.  If I could do it over again, I would have taken every class Lincoln had to offer, but I was 19, homesick, and stupid.  I took some Drafting classes at the local CC which helps.  I also wish I had taken some Machine Shop classes.  You want to make yourself desirable to an employer.Whatever route you choose, remember keep your head on straight, finish school if you start.  Many people learn the basics and quit for a $10.00 an hour job, but if they had finished they could have found a $15.00 an hour job.  Getting your certificate tells an employer you are willing to finish what you started, and you are more likely to stay long term.
Reply:Originally Posted by billyonsWhat's your location? Are you mechanically inclined?
Reply:http://www.local60.org/index.php
Reply:also, the American Welding Society offers scholarships as well:http://www.aws.org/foundation/get involved with your local AWS chapter...  some even have student chapters...  then you'll be well positioned to meet professionals in your area, AND learn about scholarship opportunities and the like.Best of luck to you!-----------------------Carmen Electrodewww.CarmenElectrode.comand the boss blogs at  www.JoeWelder.comall powered by  www.Arc-Zone.com